This invention relates to refrigerator/freezer appliances equipped with automatic icemakers and more specifically to a sensing and diagnostic system for such appliances operative to monitor icemaker operation to detect malfunctions of the icemaker and upon detection to alert the user to the fault condition.
Automatic icemakers are well-known features in domestic refrigerator/freezer appliances. One such device includes a mold for forming cubes, a mold heater for heating the mold to release the cubes, an ejection lever for ejecting cubes from the mold and a sweeper arm for moving the ejected cubes from the mold to a storage basket. A thermostat switch responsive to the temperature in the mold initiates the ejecting cycle when the temperature indicates cubes are frozen. The ejection cycle is initiated by energizing the icemaker motor which drives the ejection lever and sweeper arm as well as actuating various control switches in proper sequence during the ejection cycle including a switch to energize the fill valve solenoid for a predetermined fill time.
Two types of icemaker malfunctions which may occur include blocking or jamming of the eJection lever or sweeper arm and insufficient water fills. The former malfunction causes the motor to stall which in addition to halting ice cube production also results in the motor and defrost heater remaining energized. If the condition persists the temperature in the freezer compartment the heat from the motor and heater may raise to an undesirable level.
If a problem in the fill valve or water inlet line prevents sufficient water from entering the mold during fill, the ice cubes, if any, will be undesirably small and the icemaker will cycle frequently resulting in reduced operating efficiency.
It is desirable therefore to provide a sensing and diagnostic arrangement which would detect such malfunctions of the icemaker and alert the user to the existence of the fault.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an icemaker diagnostic arrangement which monitors the icemaker circuit to detect improper operation thereof and provide a user discernible signal signifying the detection of a fault condition which is preventing normal icemaker operation.